Foreign Minister Winston Peters is travelling to New York this weekend to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
“The 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations is an important moment for reflection about the state of the international, rules-based system that New Zealand has long championed,” Mr Peters says.
“New Zealand was a founding member of the United Nations and we have always argued that all states – no matter their size – should have a say in how the world operates. But there is no doubt that the scale, complexity and persistence of the challenges facing the world are putting immense stress and strain on the United Nations. New Zealand, working with partners, needs to continue to press for reforms to ensure the United Nations can rise to the world’s challenges as humanity enters the second quarter of the 21st Century.”
While in New York, Mr Peters will attend the Two State Solution conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, participate in a number of thematic and geographic events, hold a range of bilateral meetings with Foreign Minister counterparts and senior UN officials, and deliver New Zealand’s national statement to the UN General Assembly.
“Major conflicts – including in Ukraine, Gaza, South Sudan and Myanmar – loom large as world leaders gather in New York next week. Our time in New York will be an ideal opportunity to gather information about how a broad range of partners are viewing and tackling the challenges facing the world – to help inform our own policy positions on a number of issues.
“This includes the complex issue of the recognition of Palestine, which New Zealand has approached cautiously and deliberately over months. Next week’s engagements will help us to finalise New Zealand’s position on this important issue, drawing on the latest available information.”
Mr Peters departs for New York on Sunday 21 September, and will return to New Zealand on Tuesday 30 September.
The new public recreation area includes 22 km of tracks to and within part of the previously closed and rehabilitated OceanaGold Globe Progress mine site just outside of Reefton.
The Globe Hill Track and Globe Progress Mine tracks and visitor facilities, including a shelter, interpretation panels telling the story of the site, and toilets, have been developed by OceanaGold after almost 10 years working the area in search of gold. They provide a distinctive experience where people can get into nature and learn about the area’s recent mining heritage says Chris Hickford, DOC Greymouth District Operations Manager.
“This area offers a unique look at the mine site rehabilitation following mining activity. It will be a great addition to the already popular visitor experiences Reefton offers and attract people to the area.
“The tracks have been built to deliver great opportunities for walkers and bikers to get “naturing”. The track to Globe Progress starts on the outskirts of Reefton benefiting visitors and the local community, who can enjoy this new recreation asset right on their doorstep.”
Alison Paul, OceanaGold Senior Vice President, NZ Legal and Public Affairs says the company is really pleased with the end result.
“The tracks are the result of extensive work with DOC and iwi. It’s a great addition to the local track network, as well as opening up the rehabilitated mine site to the public.”
Part of OceanaGold’s agreement with DOC to access the area required the company to ensure the site was restored once operations concluded in 2016. As well as removing mine infrastructure and landscaping, the area has been extensively replanted with plants grown from seed taken from the area.
OceanaGold continues to work on mine remediation and water treatment at the site while this is necessary, including maintaining and using the otherwise closed access road while this work is underway.
Find out more about the Globe Progress Mine tracks:
NATURE LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM HERE
Nature isn’t scenery. Nature is a society that we rely on for everything, every day. It’s behind our identity and our way of life.
Up to $300,000 of contestable funding is now available to support community events celebrating our national day and commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Paul Goldsmith says.
“The Commemorating Waitangi Day Fund supports community groups as they reflect on our shared history and the contributions of all cultures represented in New Zealand today.
“It supports events that bring New Zealanders together to recognise and celebrate all aspects of our national identity, on our national day, including the Treaty of Waitangi and its signing.
“This is a day that should be commemorated not only at Waitangi where the Treaty was first signed, but throughout the country – recognising that the Treaty itself travelled across our country.
“Many well-established events are delivered by communities across the country each year, which are treasured by the thousands of New Zealanders who attend them. New applicants are always welcome and encouraged to propose new ways for New Zealanders to participate in Waitangi Day events in their community.
“I encourage community groups, tangata whenua, and local councils to work together to organise local events that bring people and community together on our national day.”
Applications for the Fund are now open and close on Monday 20 October 2025.
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today announced that the contract for the construction of Dunedin Hospital’s new inpatient building has been signed with CPB Contractors Limited.
“Delivering this inpatient building is a key priority for the Government. In January this year, I gave the people of Dunedin certainty that it would be built on the old Cadbury site, and in July construction work resumed,” Mr Brown says.
“Under the previous government’s plans, the project risked a $3 billion blowout. We’ve reset the approach and strengthened planning to ensure we actually deliver the safe, modern hospital that Dunedin and the surrounding Otago and Southland regions deserve.
“The $1.88 billion New Dunedin Hospital programme is New Zealand’s single biggest health infrastructure project and an economic boost for the region.
“Construction of the inpatient building will provide more than 900 FTE jobs and contribute around $100 million annually to Dunedin’s economy at the peak of construction.
“I am pleased to confirm CPB Contractors Limited as the main construction partner for the delivery of this building.
“CPB has been involved from the early days, working closely with Health New Zealand’s design team on pre-construction activities. With their experience in New Zealand and Australia, we are pleased to have a contractor in place who has the appropriate experience to manage a project of this scale and complexity – approximately 72,000 sqm of space.
“This project is highly complex, which is why we have also put in place a Crown Manager to oversee delivery and ensure CPB completes it on time and within budget.”
Construction resumed at the former Cadbury site in July, beginning with foundations and pile caps. A crane will be in the sky mid-next year, with the hospital due for practical completion in 2030 and open to patients in 2031.
“This Government’s record investment reflects our commitment to delivering a modern, fit-for-purpose hospital that meets the needs of future generations and can adapt to changing models of care.
“With the main contractor now in place, the people of Dunedin, Otago, and Southland can finally look forward to the modern, world-class hospital they need, and now will get,” Mr Brown says.
Attributable to Senior Sergeant Andrew Knox, Eastern Area Response Manager:
Police are aware of a planned gathering of gang members in Waipawa on Sunday and Monday.
As is standard with these events, Police have been proactively engaging with the organisers to ensure activity remains lawful and public disruption is minimalised.
Police would like to reassure Waipawa residents that plans are in place to ensure safety during the planned event.
If anybody witnesses any illegal or dangerous activity, please call 111 if it is happening now, or make a report via 105 if it is after the fact.
The 132nd anniversary of Suffrage Day is a tribute to all those who have contributed to New Zealand’s progress for women and girls, Minister for Women Nicola Grigg says.
“New Zealand can be very proud of what we have achieved, and we should all celebrate and honour the suffrage legacy, 132 years since New Zealand became the first nation where women gained the right to vote.
“This Government is proud to be driving real outcomes for women and girls in New Zealand.
“In the last 12 months, New Zealand’s gender pay gap has decreased from 8.2 percent to 5.2 percent – the lowest it has been since reporting began in 1998.
“Last year I launched the first ever government-backed gender pay gap calculation toolkit to support business to address their gender pay gaps. We continue to have strong engagement from the business community as we develop the second iteration of resources.
“Women’s representation on public sector boards remains strong at above 50 percent for the fifth year in a row, and women continue to be well-represented in Board chair positions at 44.5 percent.
“In May I launched the new Free to Lead toolkit to support women and their employers tackle the impact of online harm and support women to engage online with confidence.
“Improving health outcomes for women and girls is also a priority. Recent Government initiatives to support women’s health include extending free breast screening to women aged 70-74, funding of $4.9 million to ensure women and their families have better access to mental health support in under-served regions, and funding to grow the rural health workforce, including frontline rural mental wellbeing services.
“I’m spending Suffrage Day in Christchurch – the heart of the suffrage movement – attending events that reflected on how far we’ve come, and what we have yet to do to achieve true equality.
“I want all women to have equal choice and equal opportunities across all areas of life. This Suffrage Day I say thank you to all women and girls for your many contributions that make New Zealand a better place.”
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston will travel to China on Monday to lead an industry delegation on a tourism-focused trade mission.
The delegation will travel to Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing to meet with Chinese airlines, e-commerce platforms and tourism industry professionals.
“The mission will promote New Zealand’s tourism sector, meet with local travel-trade businesses and organisations to better understand the Chinese market, and strengthen our relationship with China,” Louise Upston says.
“China is New Zealand’s third largest tourism market, with nearly 250,000 arrivals in the year ending July 2025.
“This mission will build on the positive momentum of the Prime Minister’s visit in June. It will strengthen the relationships we’ve developed with key trade partners and promote New Zealand as a fantastic year-round destination.”
The Minister will also travel to Beijing to meet with Minister of Culture and Tourism, Sun Yeli.
Industry delegates are from the aviation, accommodation and hospitality, cruise and visitor attraction sectors, as well as tour operators.
“This mission also builds on our efforts to increase the number of Chinese visitors to New Zealand, by making it quicker, easier and cheaper for Chinese nationals to come to New Zealand via Australia from November, if they hold an eligible Australian visa,” Louise Upston says.
“New Zealand visitor visa offerings for Chinese nationals are more generous than other groups of travellers, reflecting the importance of the relationship with China.
“Most Chinese visitors receive a five-year multiple entry visitor visa, making it easier for Chinese visitors to return to New Zealand. Average processing times for Chinese visas are currently the fastest they’ve ever been at five working days.
“Smoothing their passage to New Zealand will help us grow the economy by boosting the tourism sector, connecting friends and family, and strengthening trade and business relationships.”
The Minister and her delegation will be in China from September 23-27.
It’s that magical time again when feathers fly, memes hatch, and suddenly everyone you know is a part-time ornithologist. Yes, it’s Bird of the Year season.
In the space of a week, your mate who couldn’t tell a kererū from a chicken is suddenly dropping lines like: “Actually, the black stilt is the rarest wading bird in the world.” Someone else casually mentions that pūteketeke perform synchronised weed dances, and now you’re wondering if you should launch a reality TV show called Feathers & Follie.
The good news? You don’t have to pick just one favourite, you can vote for up to five birds. The bad news? That still means leaving a whole lot of deserving birds off your ballot. Back the tara iti, kākāpō, kororā, and southern dotterel, but what about the tūī that soundtracked your lockdown, or the cheeky pīwakawaka who wagged you out of the bush? Bird FOMO is real.
And then comes the question we always get: “Hey DOC, which bird are you backing?”
Here’s where we ruffle a few feathers: we can’t endorse one bird over another. As lovers of all our native birds, we’re fence sitters and remain strictly bird neutral as an organisation. That would be like a parent announcing they have a favourite child. (Even though secretly, every parent knows which one’s the “easy one.”) Our job isn’t to pick sides. It’s to make sure all of Aotearoa’s birds survive and thrive long enough for future Bird of the Year showdowns. From the booming kākāpō to the chip-stealing gull, they’re all our taonga.
That said, our passionate DOC rangers and scientists are only human, and yes, they definitely have favourites. From tara iti in the north to takahē in the south, there’s a diversity of strong opinions, whispered alliances, and quiet campaign slogans in our tea rooms. So, while you might encounter some of our friendly staff gently nudging you towards a certain ornithological choice, as an organisation we keep our feathers unruffled and our loyalties neutral, the ultimate test of self-control for any bird fan.
So what’s a good nature-lover to do? This is where Always Be Naturing swoops in.
Bird of the Year is once a year. Naturing is every day.
Vote for five birds, sure, but be naturing all the other days whenever you can. Here’s some ways:
➜ Flock over to the DOC website and discover easy ways to back birds and their habitats, from big nationwide wins to little backyard boosts.
➜ Nod respectfully to the tūī doing a DJ set of coughs, squeaks and bell chimes in your backyard.
➜ Carefully tidy up any rubbish in the park or near the water, because even seagulls appreciate a Michelin-star dining experience.
➜ Admire the pūkeko’s absolute confidence strutting across the road like it owns the joint.
➜ Plant a native shrub or tree to give birds more food and shelter basically becoming a luxury Airbnb host for feathery tenants.
➜ Forgive the gull, yes, even the one that nicked your hot chip in 2009.
➜ Applaud the kererū attempting aerial acrobatics and instead crash-landing into a cabbage tree like a feathery bowling ball.
➜ Set up a predator trap – think of it as a tiny fortress defending your feathery friends from sneaky stoats, rats, or possums.
So go ahead, vote five times, campaign hard, make memes, and argue passionately over whether the takahē’s comeback story is more inspiring than the kōkako’s haunting song.
But when the polls close, remember: the real winner is the bird you notice tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 September 2025 – Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, John Lee, in his 2025 Policy Address announced yesterday (September 17) set out a range of measures to diversify Hong Kong’s economy and reinforce the city’s status as an international hub for business, investment and new industrialisation.
“Backed by strong national support and a high degree of global connectivity, Hong Kong is recognised worldwide as an international centre in finance, trade and shipping, as well as in aviation, legal services and dispute resolution,” Mr Lee said. “The Government will fully leverage these institutional strengths to consolidate Hong Kong’s status as a premier international hub.”
Hong Kong SAR’s Chief Executive John Lee attended the Legislative Council of Hong Kong SAR’s question and answer session on his 2025 Policy Address
To cement Hong Kong’s position as a leading global financial centre, Mr Lee said the Government’s strategy would include deepening the equity market, expanding a world-class bond market and a vibrant currency market, while advancing the insurance, asset and wealth management sectors. Key initiatives include:
Leveraging the Technology Enterprises Channel to assist Mainland technology enterprises in raising funds in Hong Kong, exploring shortening the stock settlement cycle to T+1, and encouraging more overseas enterprises to seek secondary listing in Hong Kong;
Further consolidating Hong Kong’s position as a bond market hub with a view to fostering interplay between various mutual market access mechanisms, establishing connections with markets such as Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, and promoting the use of offshore Chinese Government Bonds as collateral in different clearing houses to further enrich the use cases of RMB assets; and
Enhancing the liquidity and global reach of the offshore RMB market in Hong Kong, including Government issuing more RMB bonds, and consider settling government expenditure in RMB under suitable circumstances.
“We will also expedite the development of new growth areas, building a premier international gold trading market, driving the development of fintech, as well as promoting green and sustainable finance,” Mr Lee said.
Initiatives on building an international gold trading market include establishing gold storage facilities, encouraging gold traders to set up or expand their refineries in Hong Kong, establishing a central clearing system for gold and offering a greater variety of gold investment vehicles by assisting issuers in issuing gold funds, and support the development of new investment products such as tokenised gold.
To boost Hong Kong’s status as an international trade centre, the Chief Executive said the Government would deepen international economic and trade networks by exploring the signing of new investment agreements with overseas economies, expanding the city’s network of Economic and Trade Offices around the world with an office to be established in Kuala Lumpur this year, and promoting the digitalisation of trade.
“Under ‘One Country, Two Systems’, Hong Kong enjoys the unique advantages of attracting overseas enterprises and assisting Mainland enterprises to go global,” Mr Lee said. “In the past, we focused primarily on bringing in enterprises, achieving remarkable growth and success. The new opportunities ahead for Hong Kong, however, will come from helping Mainland enterprises expand abroad.”
The Chief Executive said he would establish a one‑stop platform by mobilising Hong Kong’s overseas offices as well as Hong Kong offices in the Mainland, and set up the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global (GoGlobal Task Force) to encourage Mainland enterprises to use Hong Kong in expanding their businesses overseas.
“With the sustained growth in the output of new industries, the Government will step up its efforts to nurture emerging industries locally and attract those from outside Hong Kong, promoting the diversified development of our economy,” Mr Lee said.
The Financial Secretary, Paul Chan, said in a press conference today (September 18) on the 2025 Policy Address, that attracting enterprises to set up and develop in Hong Kong is a crucial component of the city’s industry development and reform, and Hong Kong needs to formulate preferential policy packages to achieve this.
To foster the life and health technology research sector, the Government will attract more pharmaceutical companies to set up operations in Hong Kong to conduct clinical trials and medical treatments for rare disease drugs, high‑end cancer drugs and advanced therapy products, and set up the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation.
To promote the development of the new energy industry, the Government will develop a sustainable aviation fuel industry chain, develop the GBA Hydrogen Corridor in collaboration with the Guangdong Province, and push forward the construction of Hong Kong’s first large‑scale electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling facility at the EcoPark, which is expected to commence operation in the first half of 2026.
“Today, Hong Kong is at the critical juncture of advancing from stability to prosperity,” Mr Lee said. “We are moving through an irreversible economic transition, but it is an essential process for a stronger and more robust economy in the future.”
